Ten albums into an ever-changing career in pop, Miley Cyrus—now known as just Miley—has shown she can surprise us, delight us, make a huge hit, or make something weird, proving you never quite know which version you are going to get. That element of surprise is part of the fun as she kicks off a new era with her latest record, Bass Persuades. The 33-year-old “Flowers” superstar is set to launch her new album on September 18 via Atlantic Records. She has said she worked quickly when recording the project, which arrives slightly less than 18 months after 2025’s Something Beautiful. The campaign for her tenth studio album is being kicked off with the title track, Bass Persuades.
The “Bass Persuades” music video premiered Thursday, September 3, at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Miley’s official YouTube channel. Miley shared a message about the title’s meaning on Instagram when announcing the name and album cover of Bass Persuades, writing: “My tenth studio album, BASS PERSUADES, is yours September 18th. Music takes hold of us. We feel it, sing it, sometimes dance to it, let it out and carry on. It is powerful, vulnerable, sweet and strong. Heart full, heartache, every part of life in between. That’s what the title means to me. Thank you for being a part of making my wildest dreams come true. I sincerely hope you love this album.”
While past hits like “Flowers” got so big they eclipsed the rest of Endless Summer Vacation—serving as a fair trade for her first Grammy win—Bass Persuades,
the opening and title track of her latest LP, hit reset in a more misleading way. Built around the defeated sentiment that the kids don’t wanna dance,
the track initially diminished faith in the record for some fans, but critics note that the ten adventurous tracks on Bass Persuades are much sharper than the lead single let on.
Miley Cyrus & her Dead Petz
The record also channels past artistic peaks, notably the 2015 space-rock opus Miley Cyrus & her Dead Petz, where she teamed up with Wayne Coyne and the Flaming Lips to lean heavily into the prog side of her artistry. That distinct ambience returns on tracks like “Orbit,” where she floats over Pink Floyd-style synths for a psychedelic prayer to orbit you forever, while swerving back into a down-home country twang. Another album highlight, Different Religion,
is described as a 2002-vintage electroclash bombshell that opens like Black Sabbath circa “Iron Man” swerving into Duran Duran circa “The Wild Boys.” The track features guest contributions from Model/Actriz, bringing industrial beats and butch robot commands as Miley chants, Losing our innocence/Give in to sin again/Take it to Genesis/We’re gonna begin again.
Model/Actriz
Miley’s collaboration with Brooklyn noise band Model/Actriz highlights her taste in music. Hearing her tangle with guitarist Jack Wetmore’s ice-pick riffs and frontman Cole Haden’s pitch-dark purr on Different Religion
is a notable pairing. Haden, who has expressed a fascination with the symbolic power of pop divas, duets alongside her, and the members of Model/Actriz are credited for instrumental contributions to several other tracks on Bass Persuades as well. Fans will have a chance to see these artists come together onstage when Miley returns to the concert stage for the first time in years with a two-night stand at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on October 16 and October 18.
Maxx Morando
Behind the scenes, Maxx Morando—the drummer of alt-rock band Liily and formerly of the Regrettes, who has been dating Miley since 2021—has continued working closely with her on her music. After co-writing and producing tracks on Endless Summer Vacation and working on half of Something Beautiful, Morando has produced all but two tracks on Bass Persuades, specifically the two tracks written about their relationship. In an interview with Zane Lowe, Miley praised Morando’s genreless flow,
which was shaped by growing up on Migos. He understands the blur that I like to live in when it comes to music,
Miley added.
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